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HOUSTON -- Anyone whos seen Jadeveon Clowneys monster tackle against Michigan in the Outback Bowl last year wont be surprised to learn what the No.www.authenticraidersshop.com/Gabe-Jackson-Raiders-Jersey . 1 overall pick likes best about football. "Big hits," he said. "Im all about hitting. I dont care who it is." Thats what the Houston Texans are counting on from the South Carolina defensive end after skipping a chance to take a quarterback -- their top need -- with the top pick Thursday night. Clowney was introduced on Friday in Houston, joining a team that features 2012 Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Clowney was already known as a top player before that hit in the Outback Bowl. But when he burst through the line and crashed into Vincent Smith, knocking his helmet off and the ball out of his hands in the process, his star power reached another level. Hes hoping to pile up plenty more highlight-reel hits this season, but knows hell have to be careful about how he delivers them. "Thats what I live for is making big hits," he said. "I hope I dont get no fines this year. I might have to dial it down a little." New Houston coach Bill OBrien, who took over a team that hasnt won since Sept. 15, raved about Clowneys many attributes. But one thing stood out to OBrien as he got to know Clowney. "He really talked about how much he loved winning and how winning was important to him," OBrien said. "These are the type guys that were looking for, were looking for team guys, were looking for tough guys, were looking for guys that are going to come in here and understand that theyre part of a team and theyre coming here to work hard." Houston general manager Rick Smith obviously coveted Clowney for his pass-rushing ability, but values his attitude perhaps just as much. "Hes driven, and in my opinion very committed to being an excellent football play, and we need that," Smith said. Clowney doesnt model his play after any player in particular, but he does study many guys to elevate his game. "I watch J.J. Watt, I watch Ray Lewis, I watch Lawrence Taylor before games," Clowney said. "I go out there on the field (and say): Im about to pull a Lawrence Taylor. Im about to pull a Ray Lewis today. I try to take over the game and try to dominate a game and thats what I do." Clowney got a good laugh during Thursdays news conference when OBrien referred to him as J.D. "I guess he has trouble pronouncing Jadeveon," Clowney said. "So I told him: Just call me J.D., man. Were going to keep it simple. And its quicker and easier." This isnt anything new to Clowney, who said people say his unique name wrong all the time. "I ask mom: Where you get that name from? I mispronounce it sometimes," he joked. "Its all right though. Ive got so many nicknames, people give me J., J.D. call me Clowney, 7. Ive got so many names. Just dont call me Clown." Everyone in his family has names that starts with the letter J, and his mother wanted to incorporate his father Davids name into her sons and came up with the hybrid name. Clowney grew up in Rock Hill, South Carolina, which has a population of less than 70,000 people. Hes excited about moving to big city, but is a bit concerned about the traffic in Houston, home to more than 2 million people. "I better get here early," Clowney said. "If I got to be here at 8, Ive got to get up at 5:30-6, get going and get here on time."www.authenticraidersshop.com/Derek-Carr-Raiders-Jersey .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike DAntoni is optimistic all-star forward Amare Stoudemire will be available for Game 3 of their playoff series with the Boston Celtics. Khalil Mack Black Jersey .Y. - Andrey Makarov made 27 saves as the Rochester Americans moved into a playoff position by defeating the visiting Toronto Marlies 3-1 on Friday in American Hockey League action.NEW YORK -- His name is already on the ball. Now Adam Silver can put his stamp on the NBA. On All-Star Saturday in New Orleans, Silver will deliver his first state of the league press conference as commissioner, a chance to tell a worldwide viewing audience how he plans to make the NBA bigger and better than it was under David Stern. Dont expect anything major. After working so closely with Stern during his 22 years at the league, Silvers fingerprints were already all over the $5.5 billion business long before he became in charge of it 10 days ago. "Im not coming in with a five-point plan," Silver told The Associated Press during an interview in his office at NBA headquarters. "Im not an outsider coming into the league. Ive been part of this league for a long time and if there was something that I thought shouldve been done markedly different than the way its done now, I think David and I would have pushed each other to do it. "My priority is the game and thats what Ill be telling people next Saturday." He has been at the NBA since 1992, overseeing the leagues entertainment empire, helping negotiate collective bargaining agreements, and on Feb. 1, he replaced Stern. He is liked by owners and respected by players, all believing Silver is the person to continue the massive growth the league saw under Stern. "Hes someone who has the same kind of feel that we have, in the sense of how can we make this pie bigger? How can we make this game bigger? Miami Heat All-Star Dwyane Wade said. "Hes going to be a good commissioner I believe. Strong in what he believes in. He was in the (CBA) meetings as well, so we know what kind of guy he is and we respect him." Silver, 51, ended up at taking Sterns old job after ignoring his advice early in his career. He laughs now when recalling the path that led to him becoming the NBA commissioner. "It never even was a consideration of working at the NBA," Silver said. "I dont think I understood what that meant. I truly stumbled into working at the NBA." Silver began his career in the legal field but was interested in transitioning to business, the same move Stern had so successfully made. So he wrote to Stern, who had worked at the same firm where Silvers father, Edward, was a lawyer. Silver had handled some media cases and was aware of Sterns accomplishments in negotiating cable TV deals. Stern gave him the number of someone to call, but the job was outside New York. Silveer wasnt interested in moving, which he explained to Stern when they spoke again. Gabe Jackson Raiders Jersey. "He said, Why didnt you tell me? Ive got some other ideas," Silver said. "It was happenstance," he added. "I dont think I quite understood what I was getting into at the time." He doesnt plan on changing much, insisting that he and Stern would have already made whatever changes they felt necessary. But while the NBAs international growth is frequently considered Sterns greatest achievement, Silver seems focused on boosting the games popularity in the United States. Silver has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to basketball. He attended Duke in the early 1980s before the Blue Devils became a powerhouse, when nobody camped out outside Cameron Indoor Stadium because you could just get into games with a student ID. He moved to Chicago to attend law school and began going to games with friends in the early days of Michael Jordan, before the Bulls became the biggest thing in basketball. Now Silver is following one of sports greatest commissioners. He acknowledges there will be times it will feel "lonely" without Stern there to face big decisions together, but Silver has worked so closely with Stern and been involved in so many aspects of the league that the transition should be a natural one. "Adam has been preparing for the job for a long time, he understands the business and I dont see him having much difficulty shifting into the role of commissioner," former NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter said. But Silver, designated as Sterns successor in October 2012, knows that doesnt mean it will always be easy. "I didnt have the same appreciation for what he was going through on a daily basis as the commissioner until I really thought about, What if that were I and I had to make that decision?" Silver said. "And its very different being sort of the voice in the ear of the guy making the decision as opposed to the guy making the decision." Nonetheless, he believes the league is in a good place and ready to grow. He met with executives from Facebook and Twitter while visiting Sacramento and Golden State during his first week as commissioner, seeking ways to bring the NBA to a larger audience than ever. "To me," Silver said, "the game is fantastic. The challenge is to use these new technologies and platforms to help more fans discover the game." ' ' ' |